Put This Book With Stranger Than Fiction

Phil Jackson is one of the greatest NBA coaches of all time and Kobe Bryant might go down as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, but there is no way I’d invite either one of these guys to my bachelor party because what happens in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas, and what happens with these guys ends up everywhere.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

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With the same attention to detail Terry Donahue used to run Steve Mariucci and Jeff Garcia out of San Francisco (proving that all those years of squeezing the entertainment potential out of UCLA football were no fluke), the same quality of genius now seems to be the province of Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss.

By bankrolling Kobe’s greed, selfishness and immorality, the Lakers made their decision and in doing so have instantly turned legions of longtime Laker fans into fans of whatever team is playing the Lakers, praying Kobe gets his comeuppance. With Kobe’s recent 35 points against Seattle in a Laker exhibition loss, it appears there will be plenty of fun ahead.

Kobe’s fate, like some episode of “The Twilight Zone,” will no doubt see him score a trillion points in his sad career, while fated to watching the championship series on television. The fact that it is arguable over whether this will bother him says all you need to know about Kobe.

It’s hard to believe the folks running this show, in the entertainment capital of the world no less, could be so utterly and completely tone-deaf and blind.

Lance K. Lawson

Scottsdale, Ariz.

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Shaq, Kobe. Maturity levels only an infant could love. Classy Derek Fisher couldn’t leave town any faster, could he?

Steel yourselves, Laker fans. You’re about to witness the 1980s Atlanta Hawks -- where everyone deferred to Dominique Wilkins, and watched him launch all the shots. He scored a gazillion points, and the team rarely made the playoffs. Look for the Lakers and Miami Heat to mirror each other, and finish with identical records of 38-44.

Note to Shaq and Kobe: Do you two ever wonder what the real reason Jerry West left town was? Game stress? The horrible Southern California weather? Not a chance. Simply go stand in front of one of the thousands of mirrors in your mansions, and you’ll find the answer.

Gregg Freeman

Simi Valley

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I am very concerned about the health of one of your writers, J.A. Adande. It is very clear to me that covering the Lakers and especially Kobe Bryant is causing him much nausea. I am afraid that doing Laker coverage may result in an ulcer. I suggest that you either remove him from Laker duty or send him to Miami to be with his pal, Shaq.

Alan Yamashiro

San Juan Capistrano

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The saga continues. Lies, lies and more lies.

I don’t care who is at fault. Just play ball. Because in the long run, the bottom line is winning. We all know that Laker fans probably will tolerate a couple of years of mediocrity. But after that, the Lakers might be selling 20-game packages in the lower bowl for $1,000. So Mitch and Dr. Buss, I hope your plan works.

Max Reyes

Walnut

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T.J. Simers’ assertion that Kobe is immature is certainly not a lightbulb moment for us, but his vitriolic name-calling of Phil Jackson marks an all-time low, even for him. When Simers has won the same number of journalist’s awards that Phil Jackson has won championship trophies, then maybe he’ll have the right to criticize.

Considering an NBA coach has to balance the fragile egos of a bunch of spoiled, overpaid brats day in and day out (remember the Jordan-Pippen saga in Chicago?), I’d say Phil did a remarkable job refereeing the soap opera here. You do recall that before his arrival, there were no titles in L.A. since Showtime days. Frankly, if Phil Jackson walked down Wilshire Boulevard inhaling peyote buttons, dressed in nothing but war paint, I believe Laker fans would be glad to see him.

Luci Blasi

Torrance

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It’s one thing for a bitter Phil Jackson to critique Kobe Bryant. He has those rings to back him up. But Ray Allen? Ray Allen? Who’s next? Juwan Howard? Jerry Stackhouse?

Frank Shapiro

Northridge